It's my biggest brother's birthday in just over a week. That's my biggest brother, in years not in size, not my 2nd big brother who's nearly 3 years younger than him but 4" taller. My big brother will be.........75.

I'm sure there's something wrong somewhere. Some years have, apparently, been put in a time-cruncher and disposed of in a hurry. It's not that time already, is it?

We first met, obviously, on the day I was born. I don't remember this meeting - the mists of time, you know how it is - but, I gather, he and my 2nd big brother had no idea I was about to arrive (such matters were, in 1943, considered too indelicate for children to know about). I made my rather loud entrance into the world at 7.15...

West Ender

Well, it has been a proper grey old day today........it really has felt like Winter is advancing...what with the grey days, the evenings drawing in and the mornings being darker.

We walk through Mercer Park to Take Miss Bossy drawers to pre-school...the squirrels are rampant and eating as many of the horse chestnuts as they can...dropping any bits they don't fancy onto the grass...so watch your head if you go that way, as some of the bits aren't so little.

Some of the leaves are already off the trees.......and the air smells of leaves.....i can't explain what I mean by that, except it is a very rustic Autumn smell.

A lot of the shops have the Hallowe'en merchandise, and (groan)....... there are even...

Margaret Pilkington